1979-09-28 Larry Holmes w rsc 11 (12) Earnie Shavers, Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA – WBC. Referee: Davy Pearl. Unable to relax against the hard-hitting Shavers (211), despite outboxing him for much of the time, the champion almost became a cropper in the seventh when a tremendous overarm right to the head dropped him heavily for the first time in his career. After getting up in a weakened condition, Holmes (210) had to sustain a pounding for the rest of the session before coming back strongly in the eighth. Subsequently, it was all one-way traffic as Holmes unleashed solid rights and lefts at his rapidly tiring opponent. Clearly wilting, after two minutes of the 11th the referee stopped the fight to save Shavers, cut over both eyes, from taking further punishment.